Monday, 27 February 2017

During the season of Lent, the singing and saying of “Alleluia” is omitted from all liturgies, only to re-emerge at Easter, when the resurrection is proclaimed.

At the end of the 9.30 Mass on Shrove Tuesday we shall sing this eleventh century hymn to observe the old custom of “Burying the Alleluia” until Easter.

Alleluia, song of sweetness,

voice of joy that cannot die;

alleluia is the anthem

ever raised by choirs on high;

in the house of God abiding

thus they sing eternally.

Alleluia thou resoundest,

true Jerusalem and free;

alleluia, joyful mother,

all thy children sing with thee;

but by Babylon's sad waters

mourning exiles now are we.

Alleluia cannot always

be our song while here below;

alleluia our transgressions

make us for awhile forgo;

for the solemn time is coming

when our tears for sin must flow.

Therefore in our hymns we pray thee,

grant us, blessed Trinity,

at the last to keep thine Easter,

in our home beyond the sky,

there to thee for ever singing

alleluia joyfully.

Thus the Alleluia is sung for the last time and not heard again until it suddenly bursts into glory during the Mass of the Easter Vigil when the celebrant intones this sacred word after the Epistle, repeating it three times, as a jubilant herald of the Resurrection of Christ.

On Shrove Tuesday evening we have our monthly Holy Hour for Vocations starting at 6.15pm. Feel free to come when you can and leave when your must any time between 6.15 and 7.15.

After the Holy Hour, we shall have pancakes in the presbytery to celebrate Mardi Gras and Fr Colin's ordination anniversary.

We start Lent on Ash Wednesday, 1st March. Ashes will be blessed and distributed at all Masses:
9.00am: Our Lady of Lourdes, Ashby
10.30am: St Charles Borromeo, Measham (our school will be joining us for this Mass)
7.00pm: Our Lady of Lourdes, Ashby

Thursday, 9 February 2017

This weekend, Ashby parish celebrates the feast of our patron, Mary our Mother, under her title, Our Lady of Lourdes. Perhaps we could say the prayers below to ask Our Lady's prayers for our parish, and for our own intentions:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.Our Lady of Lourdes, we come to you like little Bernadette at the grotto. We pray with childlike trust in you.Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, when you appeared in Lourdes, you made it a holy sanctuary where many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. We pray with confidence for your holy intercession.(State your intentions here)Holy Mother of the Rosary, we feel confident that your prayers on our behalf will be graciously heard by God.Immaculate Mother, comfort us in our affliction.Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer us.Amen.Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!Saint Bernadette, pray for us!Amen.In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.

I have enough,
I have taken the Saviour, the hope of the righteous,
into my eager arms;
I have enough!
I have beheld Him,
my faith has pressed Jesus to my heart;
now I wish, even today with joy
to depart from here.